RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – With the stroke of a pen, Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) has killed two of Democrats’ top priorities from this year’s legislative session.
Youngkin vetoed key bills including ones to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026 and one to create a retail market for recreational marijuana.
“This was a missed opportunity for our commonwealth and backwards thinking by the governor,” said State Senator Aaron Rouse (D-Virginia Beach).
In a four-page veto statement, Youngkin said that the legalization of retail marijuana “endangers Virginians health and safety.”
However, Rouse, who wrote the marijuana bill, disagreed and said the product would be regulated unlike when it’s obtained illegally.
“This was the first step in making sure we can drive down the illicit black market, but also keep our communities safe,” Rouse told 8News.
On minimum wage, Youngkin said a $15 an hour minimum wage “may not impact Northern Virginia,” but it’s “detrimental for small businesses across the rest of Virginia.”
However, Democratic Delegate Rodney Willett (D-Henrico) said that with the rising cost of living, Virginians need a raise to survive.
“Virginia is an awesome place to do business, but it should also be an awesome place to be a worker and that’s the issue right now is that so many families in Virginia are working 40 hours a week and not even getting close to making a salary that could support a family,” Willett said.
The General Assembly can override Youngkin’s vetoes when they reconvene in April, however, it’s unlikely Democrats have the votes to do that.
